Mubtaker in good form - Tregoning

Mubtaker has his first run for 314 days tomorrow and trainer Marcus Tregoning feels that last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe runner-up is giving all the right signs.

The ultra-consistent seven-year-old has not been seen since chasing home Dalakhani last October, having suffered a setback while training in Italy during the spring.

Mubtaker makes his seasonal debut in the Group Two Stan James Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury, a race he has won for the last two years, and faces just three rivals.

“We think he is in good shape and he has been training very well of late. We have been very happy with him, especially in the last two weeks,” Tregoning told At The Races.

“He is the flag-bearer of our yard this year, and in previous years in many ways. He has won some nice races and this is the third time he has run in this race at Newbury, so we are trying to make it third time lucky.

“He has been lightly campaigned through his career as he has had a few training hiccups along the way, but he has never lost his enthusiasm and is very game and consistent.”

Mubtaker’s French outing last year proved he could handle soft conditions, although Tregoning is hopeful he will not encounter similar ground tomorrow as he starts to build up to another shot at the Arc.

“In the past, when he appeared not to handle soft ground, it might have been because he had a tougher race the time before, but he handled it at Longchamp,” added the Kingwood House handler.

“I am just hoping it is not too testing at Newbury tomorrow because I would rather it was good ground for his first start back, but you can’t have everything.

“It was the run of his life in the Arc last year, it was tremendous. There were plenty of good horses behind him that day, and it was no disgrace coming second to a really good horse.

“If he is going to go back to Longchamp, I would ideally like to give him two races before then.”